TORONTO (Ticker) -- The Detroit Pistons are enjoying
unprecedented success on the road.

Clifford Robinson had 21 points, and Corliss Williamson scored
12 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Detroit Pistons
posted their franchise-record seventh straight road victory, an
80-72 triumph over the Toronto Raptors.

After serving a one-game league suspension on Wednesday,
Robinson returned Friday and tallied 16 points in the first half
as Detroit built an eight-point lead. The Pistons never trailed
in the second half and erased their previous record for
consecutive road wins, set February 25-March 20, 1990, when
Detroit was on its way to a second straight NBA title.

"We weren't focused on the record. (Pistons coach Rick Carlise)
was thinking about it more," Clifford said. "We just try to come
out and play good basketball each game."

The Raptors pulled within 67-65 with just over eight minutes to
play but Williamson put home a layup to spark a decisive 11-2
run. He capped the burst with a basket with 4:20 left, giving
Detroit a 78-67 advantage.

The Pistons also extended their overall winning streak to a
season-high five games.

Detroit's defense proved key as they turned 21 turnovers into 20
points. The Pistons also blocked nine shots, including five by
Ben Wallace.

"The defensive effort was there almost the entire night,"
Carlisle said. "We showed grit and the toughness you need to win
on the road. Corliss played great in the second half, then
Cliff came in and gave us a boost and (Jerry) Stackhouse did
what Stackhouse does."

The Pistons' leading scorer, Stackhouse had just 13 points on
4-of-17 shooting.

Anotonio Davis led the way for Toronto with 17 points and 13
rebounds, regisitering his team-leading 22nd double-double of
the season. However, the Raptors converted just 9-of-19 shots
from the free-throw line and lost their seventh straight contest
since scoring leader Vince Carter went down with a left
quadriceps strain.

"Guys can be out but you still have to win," said Raptors guard
Dell Curry, who scored 14 points off the bench, hitting all
three of his shots from beyond the arc. "(Carter) hypothetically
might be out the whole year. So you have to find a way to win."

The Raptors dropped seven straight for the first time since
March 20-April 12, 1998, when they lost 13 in a row.

Meanwhile, the Pistons' win kept them in a tie atop the Central
Division with the Milwaukee Bucks, who the Pistons face Sunday.

Williamson proved to be clutch down the stretch, making all six
of his shots from the field in the fourth quarter. By contrast,
Jerome Williams and Eric Montross -- who were traded in a deal
for Williamson last year -- combined to go scoreless on 0-for-4
shooting in the contest.

"The shots started falling," Williamson said. "I get so anxious
about coming back here and having a good game. That may be why
I started off so badly."

Williamson nailed a 15-foot jumper with 9:15 remaining in the
game to open a 67-58 lead for the Pistons.

However, Toronto center Michael Stewart emphatically finished
off a 7-0 burst during a 73-second span with a dunk. That
allowed the Raptors, who trailed by as many as 18 in the second
quarter, to close within two.

Momentum quickly swung back to Detroit on a ruling by the
officials with 7:24 to go.

Initially, the Pistons were whistled for a shot-clock violation.
But officials David Jones, Jason Phillips and Joe DeRosa
conferred and ruled a shot by rookie Zeljko Rebraca hit the rim.

Even though the Raptors had gathered the rebound off the shot,
the officials called for a jump ball. Wallace outjumped
Stewart, tipped the ball to teammate Jon Barry and Detroit
scored 11 of the next 13 points.

"Well that one play led them to a five-point run and we were
only down two at the time," Raptors coach Lenny Wilkens said.
"They said it hit the rim but I didn't think so. Even if it
did, we still had the ball. That kicked our pants."

The Pistons embarked on a 13-2 run late in the first quarter and
opened a 24-12 lead after 12 minutes. The 12 points represented
a season-low for the Raptors in the opening quarter.

Detroit clinched the season series with Toronto, posting its
third victory in four meetings this season.